Stoker apparatus for brooder heaters



Feb. 2, 1943. H. E. MITCHELL STOKER APPARATUS FOR BROODER HEATERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 25, 1941 A Morin 'Feb. 2, 1943. HE. MITCHELL STO KER APPARATUS FOR BROODER HEATERS Filed Oct. 25, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 :1 Home Feb. 2, 1943. H. E. MITCHELL 1 2,309,853

STOKER APPARATUS FOR BROODER HEATERS Filed Oct-25, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet a Inventor A ttorney Patented Feb. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,309,858 STOKE-R, AFPAEATUS eon BEDODER HEATERS Hugh Mitchell, Slate Spring, Miss. Application October 25, 19 11, serial-No. 416,560

2 Claims. (01. 11o 101 My invention relates to improvements in Stoker apparatus for loading fuel into brooder heaters, the principal object in view being to provide 'a simply constructed apparatus of the character indicated which is automatically operative under the influence of gravity and under control of the heater to deliver into the latter uniform loads of fuel as required.

Other objects are to provide apparatus of the character and for the purpose above set forth which is easy to install, requires a minimum of servicing, and is inexpensive to manufacture.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinateobjects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, set "forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a viewin side elevation of a preferr ed embodiment of my, improvedapparatus,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the heater grate trip lever, Y

Figure 3 is af-ragmentary view in top plan of the delivery end of the apparatus drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 4+4 of Figure-3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the conveyor track frame together with the trip mechanism and heater opening mechanism,

Figure 6 is a detail fragmentary view of the trip lever and rod, and

Figure 7 is a detail view inside elevation illustrating one of the fuel buckets.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, :according to my invention, a box-type, coal or wood burning, breeder heater I, substantially rectangular, and having a back flue pipe 2 is equipped with a top 3 hinged,-as at 4, at its rea-r side to one side of the body 5 of the heater 1 to open upwardly toward said one side of said body,

and said top 3 is counterbalanced for easy opening by an. arm 6 extending laterally therefrom and a counterweight I suitably secured to "said arm.

The heater grate 8 is hinged at one side thereof, as at 9, to one side of the body 5 for vertical swinging movement, for a purpose presently described, and is overbalanced to swing upwardly and through the medium of an overbalance weight 10 suitably mounted on the same side of said body 5 as theweight 1, and on one end of the lever ll pivoted, as at t2, adjacent its other end for vertical swinging movement on an angle bracket 13 fixed on the body 5, said other end of the lever [I being operatively connected to the grate 8 by a link l4 pivoted, as at Hi, to said lever II and also pivoted, as at IE, to an angle arm ll depending from the free edge of the grate 8 and extending out of a slot 18 provided in the body '5 below said rate 8. 1

The above-described overbalance mechanism for the grate ,8 is designed to be overcome so as to permit the grate to assume horizontal position under a maximum weight of fuel deposited on said grate. I

I :At the same sideof the heater l as the front side of the top 3 is an elongated, substantially horizontally disposed conveyor frame l9 extending lengthwise laterally of the adjacent side of the heater body 5 and suitably located above the level of the top 3. The basic elements of the frame l-9 are a pair of substantially horseshoeshaped, side members of angle iron opposed to eacho'ther to form upper and lower tracks 2-0, 2| with ends terminating adjacent the heater l. The upper tracks incline downwardly toward the heater l and include end sections 22 inclining at a greaterangle than the remainder of the tracks. The lower tracks 2! in each instance, include a horizontalsection 23 downwardly ofiset fr'orn'the rear portion of the track and "attached-at one end to the 'reai"portion bya ha 24 as vide a gap between the section 23 and rear portion to permit conveyor rollers, presently described, to ridebff the section 23 around the curve or'the member "and onto the upper track 20. The ends of the upper tracks 20, and the corresponding "ends of the sections 23 are supported by of the latter upon a cross-shaft 3B suitably mounted in bearing brackets, as at 3 l, depending from said tracks 20., said pulleys 29 supporting the conveyor chains 26 at what constitutes the front or delivery end of the conveyor. As will be understood, the links of the conveyor chains 26 are opposedin pairs at opposite sides of the frame l 9 to form top and bottom stretches of said chain,

and the top stretches of said chains are designed to travel toward the heater Fuel buckets are carried by the cross-shafts 21. Each bucket comprises an open sided frame 33 having end walls 34 and a bottom 35 fixed at one end thereof on corresponding ends of a pair of cross-blocks 35 journaled on a cross-shaft 21 in front of the bucket 26 so that the frames on the top stretch of the conveyor pivot on a preceding cross-shaft 2'! and at theirv rear ends seat on the cross-block of a trailing cross-shaft 21, whereby, as said frames 33 travel around the pulleys 29 they swing downwardly and forwardly into inverted dumping position. As best shown in Figures 1 and 4, in the dumping positions of'said frames 33 the buckets empty into the body of the heater and then travel away from said heater clear of the same and in inverted position.

Suitable stop means may be utilized to establish Suit the dumping position of the frames 33. ably fixed in each bucket frame 33 for removal therefrom is a receptacle section 31 for containing coal, the section fitting in the frame and be ing preferably anchored thereto by a bottom stud 38 extending through the bottom of the frame 33 and equipped with a nut. The frames 33 are designed for holding stick wood when the sections 31 are removed.

At this point, it may be explained that by virtue of the inclined tracks 29, under the weight of the loaded frames 33, or sections 31 of theclescribed buckets on the top stretches of the conveyor chains 26, said chains are caused to roll down the inclined tracks 20 to the delivery end of the conveyor and to dump in-the manner already I9, said lever having an inner end suitably fixed to said grate 8. The outer end of the lever 39 is adapted to be connected in a manner presently described to the lower end of an upright trip rod 4|, the upper end of which rod is pivoted, as at 42, to the pivotal connection of a pair of toggle links 43 one of which has one end pivoted, as at 44, to one track 20 and the other of which has one end pivoted, as at 45, to an upright crank arm 46 fast on one end of a trip rock shaft 41 extending transversely of the tracks 20 and suitably journaled in bearings,'as at 48, on'the under face of said tracks. A pair of upstanding trip arms 49 are fixed on said shaft 41 to extend upwardly between the tracks 20, into the path of travel of the roller cross-shafts 21. A trip lug 50 on the trip lever 39 is provided to hook over a stop lug 5| on the lower end of the trip rod 4|, and a forked guide plate 52 on said trip lever 39 straddles the trip 4| all for a purpose presently. seen. A coil spring 53 suitably-connected at its ends to the trip rod 4| and to one of the tracks 2|Jurges said rod 4| upwardly and its lower end toward the trip lug 5|]. i

Referring to the operation of the parts as so far described, with a maximum load of fuel on the grate 8, the latter is depressed thereby into substantially horizontal position and the trip lever 39 extends substantially horizontally therefrom. The spring 53 pulls the lower end of the trip rod 4| toward the trip-lug 59 andthe latter hooks over the stop lug 5| and .blocks upward movement of the trip rod 4|. In this blocked, or locked, position of the trip rod 4| the toggle links 43 are held horizontally aligned, the trip arms 49 project upwardly in front of one roller carrying shaft 21, and rocking of said trip rock shaft 41 is blocked by a dead center relation of the pivots 44, 42 and 45 opposing movement of the crank arm 46. When the fuel on the grate 8 has burned out to an extent such that the weight on the grate 8 is reduced to a degree permitting said grate to be overbalanced by thedescribed overbalancing mechanism therefor, said grate 8 is swung upwardly by said overbalancing mechanism with the result that the trip lever 39 is swung downwardly thereby pulling the trip rod 4| down through engagement of the trip lug 59 with the stop lug 5|, whereby the toggle formed by the I links 43 is broken at the pivotal connection 42 heater alongside one side of the conveyor frame of said links. Such operation of the toggle pulls the crank arm to rock the trip rock shaft 41 'in the proper direction to swing the trip arms 49 in the direction of travel of the upper stretch of. the conveyor chains 26, thereby removing said arms 49 from blocking relation to the roller carrying shaft 21 thus releasing the described conveyor for gravitational operation to move a leading fuel bucket into a position to dump in the manner already described in the foregoing; As

'55 and pivotally connected, as at 58, to one end of a pair of rods 59 having their other ends pivotally connected, as at 69, to arms 6| suitably connected to the heater top 3; A coil spring 62 attached to the rock shaft 4! and to the crank arm 54 norm-ally swings the latter into upright position in which it is interposed directly in front of the roller carrying rod 21 located in front of the one blocked by the trip arms 49.

The operation of the described top opening means is as follows: The roller carrying shaft 2'! preceding each fuel bucket traveling into dumping position wipes over the crank arm 54 and swings the same in the direction of travel of the bucket to rock shaft in opposition to the spring 62 and swings crank arms 51 in a direction to exert a pulling action on the rods 59 which by virtue of connections 60, 6| to top 3 opens'the latter just prior to dumping of a preceding full fuel bucket. As soon as one bucket dumps, the

crank arm 54 is released so that the parts of the top opening means are returned to normal position by the spring 62, and the top 3 closes Means are provided for disabling the described trip mechanism when the top 3 is opened, to thereby prevent a double load from being dumped into the heater This means comprises a bell "crank 63 pivoted, as at 64, on one track 20 intermediate one crank arm 51 and the trip rod 4|, and a cam 65 fast on rock shaft 55, thearrangement being such that when crank arm 51 is swung, as previously described, to effect opening of the top 3, said cam 65 moves one end of the bell crank 63 and swings the other end of said crank against the trip rod 4| to swing the latter on its pivot 42 in opposition to the spring 53 so that the lower end of the trip rod 4| is caused to move the stop lug 5| from under the triplug 50 whereby the trip rod 39 is rendered ineffective to operate said trip rod. As soon as the top 3 is closed, the cam 65 releases the bell crank 63 and the latter releases the trip rod 4|, whereupon the spring 53 acts to swing the trip rod 4| to relocate the stop lug 5| beneath the trip lug 50 and render the trip lever 39 effective to operate the trip rod 4|, as will be clear.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. The combination with an open top heater, of a counterbalanced fuel supporting grate therein vertically movable under decrease in weight of a load therein in predetermined degree, means to feed fuel into the top of said heater operative intermittently under the influence of gravity, means to control operation of said fuel feeding means operative by vertical movement of said grate, a normally closed hinged top for said heater, and means to open said top operative by said fuel feeding means.

2. The combination with an open top heater, of a counterbalanced fuel supporting grate therein vertically movable under decrease in weight of a load therein in predetermined degree, means to feed fuel into the top of said heater operative intermittently under the influence of gravity, means to control operation of said fuel feeding means operative by vertical movement of said grate, a normally closed hinged top for said heater, means to open said top operative by said fuel feeding means, and means to disable said control means operative by said top opening means.

HUGH E. MITCHELL. 

